Immune-Focused Drugs Show Promise Against Melanoma

April 20, 2015 1:00 PM

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MONDAY, April 20, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Drugs that supercharge the body's immune system show promise in treating advanced melanoma, according to a pair of clinical trials.

The trials both involve drugs called immune checkpoint inhibitors, which essentially prod the immune system to attack and destroy cancer cells, said Dr. Suzanne Topalian, director of the Melanoma Program at Johns Hopkins' Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center in Baltimore.